In an amalgamation of its efforts to support the public and the business community and to try to reduce the impact of the global pandemic COVID-19 on all of its sectors, the UAE government, keeping up with its ever-evolving digital strategy aimed at working smartly and efficiently, has announced the roll-out of its official portal (u.ae) aimed at providing mostly end to end digital services around the clock.
The announcement comes after a series of initiatives to activate working remotely and preserve public safety while ensuring continuity of services. This is a giant leap in the digital transformation that the country has embarked on since the introduction of the e-dirham back in 2001 and the announcement of a long-term e-Government strategy which has since yielded several online services.
The UAE has 3730 federal and local eServices and the function of the official portal is to act as a single window or a single entry-point for users to access the different federal and local government eServices. The portal also boosts communication between customers and government representatives with the end goal being the enablement of customers to complete their transactions remotely, in a way that ensures their safety and supports the UAE's efforts towards facing the challenges of the novel coronavirus.
Services such as police clearance certificates, renewal of work permits and contract\mission work permits, renewal of Emirates ID cards, issuing emergency passports, attestations of official documents and invoices, registration of labor complaints, issuance/renewal/ cancellation of labor contracts and a myriad of other services offered by the various UAE ministries will all be available on the portal. The Ministry of Justice for instance will be offering services such as the application for 'To Whom It May Concern' certificates in Public Prosecution, registration of Order of Payment, registration of cases before the Federal Courts of Appeal/First Instance, registration of disputes before alternative litigation systems as well as the registration of Execution Files.
In addition to round the clock availability, remote working and ease of use, the portal has a number of features including the ability to upload documents, save your request and submit at a later date, and electronically signed documents and forms. This massive investment is set to additionally increase efficiency and is expected to expedite the process.
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